Rod Kemp (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

but did not say that they had pork-barrelled very extensively in the marginal electorates, Senator Wong. You see, that is the problem, Senator Wong. If you come in and say, ‘We have to cut sports funding because we are concerned about being fiscally responsible,’ and then we suddenly discover that $100 million-plus is being spent elsewhere, not unnaturally the sporting community will ask whether this government is fair dinkum.

Of course, we know that Minister Ellis—who, I know, is a conscientious minister and seeks to work hard in her portfolio—has been asked to involve herself in this cover-up by people in the PM’s office. No-one is saying that Minister Ellis is responsible for all these grants; Minister Ellis was not in the portfolio at that time. But Minister Ellis has been drawn into this, because she is being asked to take part in the cover-up. I would urge the minister to do what I did as minister: when Senator Lundy wanted a full list of the grants—